This application relates to an electrical generator wherein a vent valve is provided to vent the interior of a housing case at shutdown.
Electric generators are known and typically include a shaft driven by a source of rotation to rotate a generator rotor adjacent to a generator stator. With this rotation, electricity is generated and used for any number of uses.
One known electric generator is housed in a housing and a generator rotor shaft extends outwardly of the housing. A liftoff seal is provided to seal the location where the shaft leaves the housing. As known, liftoff seals can gradually build up internal case pressure of the generator on subsequent start-stop cycles.
It is also known to provide a pressure relief valve on the housing case to allow venting of the interior of the housing case should a pressure become undesirably high. However, in the past, the relief valves have opened an undesirably high number of times under some applications due to the pressure build up from the lift off seal.
When the relief valve opens during operation of the electrical generator, it is possible for lubricant captured within the housing to flow outwardly of the housing.
This is, of course, undesirable because with several cycles, eventually the generator could become low in oil before the normal service interval.